Turquoise & Gold

DIYing and also DIEing - pom pom garland

2013-10-02T23:21:00.001-05:00

I have my "big" craft show this weekend. It's at my church. Our church is big, and the festival is a pretty big deal.

This entire summer kind of feels like it's been leading up to this weekend. Let me remind you that I didn't know how to sew until June. And since then, it has been non stop every day. I do it because I love it, but it would also be nice to get some extra money in my pocket. I mean I really do love sewing, but like anything else, making the same thing over and over (ie burp cloths) gets tiring and tedious. And tired can't even begin to describe the level of exhaustion I am.

Anyway, one thing that's awesome about making stuff all the time is that you get to a point that you just "have" supplies. Seeing an awesome DIY on pinterest doesn't seem out of reach when you already have all the supplies sitting on your table. On the flip side, I don't really think it's worth it to do a lot of DIY projects unless you plan to do more stuff in the future. Craft supplies are a huge rip off, and if you starting from square one, you are going to get up spending more than you thought you would have to. Like even if you just need to buy thread and needles, you'll be spending close to $10.

So my random DIY tonight was fiesta garland to potentially decorate my craft show booth. I see a lot of cool pom pom accents all over pinterest, and I suggest you look around, because they are all super easy to recreate.

I have always loved this for inspiration...

So today I picked up a multi pack of pom poms at Hobby Lobby and created some pom pom garland.

Eleanor deeply mistrusted my vision and would not comply, so this is the best shot I could get...

If you want to call this a "tutorial," fine. I guess. Buy some pom poms and thread them...

Is your mind blown?

Love,

Lauren

Some DIY nursery action - crib sheet, teething guard, and a book hammock...

2013-09-09T19:25:00.000-05:00

I usually spend my weekends making something for our house, these days. I have been wanting to make Henry a crib sheet for some time, mostly because the tutorials all seemed super easy. It took me a while to commit to the right fabric because Henry's glider has a white with navy ikat-ish print. But the navy isn't really navy, its like dark dark blue. So when I stumbled upon Sari by Dear Stella, I just knew that it would be perfect. Also, his nursery is mostly very soft colors, and I feel this dark fabric really adds some punch and personality to a room for a boy that is soon to be 1!

To make the sheet, I followed the tutorial at Dana Made It. It was SUPERRRRRR easy. If you are a true beginner, you could easily make one! There are probably millions of tutorials out there, and I assume most are exactly the same. I would suggest making a casing for the elastic, and then sliding it through at the end. Some tutorials show you how to sew the elastic onto the sheet, and that just seems dumb and hard to me. Also, I love everything on Dana's blog. A lot of crafters don't necessarily have... the best taste? But everything she makes is super cool and simple, and I feel her aesthetic lines up with mine about 90% of the time.

Here she is...

Pillow made from corner scraps and leftover pompoms...

Matches the glider beautifully!...

I also made a rail guard for the crib. About one second after Henry could pull up in his crib, his mouth went straight for the rail. I looked around online, and all the fabric guards were made for a crib with a larger top rail. We have a Jenny Lind crib (which I cannot recommend enough - so cute and cheap), and the top rail is really skinny. I found one I loved on etsy (before I could sew), but it was going to be like $100 and I just couldn't pull the trigger.

I am not going to present a tutorial, but I will tell you in general how I made it...

1. Roughly measured how big it needed to be

2. Cut 1 piece of fabric and two identical pieces of fleece to give it "padding"... So actually, the blue fabric was not long enough, so I pieced the two mint green panels in so that it would stretch the entire length of the rail.

3. Sewed them all right sides together, flip right side out, top stitch a 3/4 inch border

4. Make fabric ties, and then sew them into place... No matter what your ties are like, you need to have some on the end that tie onto the posts horizontally. I made another one of these a few months ago, and I didn't do that, and Henry was able to move the guard all around.

The bumper is from Carter's. It's just plain white, and about the only one I could find that I didn't hate under $100. I have considered making Henry a new one. They sell the pads to use at craft stores, but the pads are like $30+ and you would have to buy several yards of fabric, so I abandoned the idea. I also used to have a crib skirt, but I decided that now that his crib is lowered, that it just looked goofy and unnecessary.

Here is the crib before he ever slept in it and needed all the ACCESSORIES. Obviously, that pillow was just for decoration...

Lastly, I have been wanting this book caddy from the Land of Nod for months. Obvi, I didn't want to spend the money, so it never happened. The thing I am probably most secure about as a mom is that I read Henry AT LEAST 15 books a day. He gets 5 books before every nap and bed time. I didn't really do this out of any sort of literary goal, I just needed a good sleep routine, and reading books seemed like the best option. (PS - Henry freaking loves books now... even more than the iPad!).

Anyway, we had the books just stacked up on the side table, and because we have like 20 in rotation since we read so many a day, they would stack up and fall over, and it was super annoying. I racked my brain trying to think of how I could make the same book caddy in a DIY version with fabric. I originally had thought I could get a drying or luggage rack and make a fabric thing on top to hold the books. It proved to be harder than I would have thought to find a cheap frame. I also considered making something out of PVC but that would involve spray paint, and I HATE painting things. Then it dawned on me that I had this laundry hamper that could work.

So I took this...

And turned it into this...

I somehow really messed up the dimensions of the fabric. It should have been wider so that the fabric fell down into a 90 degree angle when books were in it, but this is more of a shallow hammock... and it works. I literally gave myself ONE nap time to make this, and I pulled it off, and was not willing to "rework it" in any way. I just took the bag that I already had and sewed some random scraps of fabric on in lines. You can tell, the lines aren't even straight, but the better you get at sewing, the more you realize how unnoticeable a lot of stuff like that ends up being. I was not willing to use anything but scrap fabric for this project which means it literally cost me ZERO DOLLARS. My fabric is so precious to me that I will only cut into if it I am making a sellable item or a gift.

Sewing is just about the most fun thing ever. In a couple hours, I transformed my baby's nursery into something that feels so much cooler and so much more in tune with what I like for our house.

Love,

Lauren

LABOR DAY SALE!

2013-09-02T16:23:00.001-05:00

etsy.com/shop/princiedesigns

Love,

Lauren

CHA CHING!

2013-08-28T22:16:00.002-05:00

So the main reason I hadn't posted a lot of my stuff for sale is because I wanted to wait until I had proper packaging. I thought about ordering some, but because I already know how to do graphic design, I figured that my money would be better spent investing in a nice printer and making it myself. I am really happy with the results, and I hope you guys like it! etsy.com/shop/princiedesigns

Happy Shopping!

Love,

Lauren

I'm back... until the next time I am gone...

2013-08-22T22:42:00.000-05:00

So what has happened to me?

After I started making Strolli Cools, which people are still buying and enjoying!, I was like wait... I can make OTHER stuff, too. I told my husband last night how weird it is that when I first started making the Strolli Cools that it didn't even occur to me that I would be able to make/sell other fun things. And now, it's like I dread making Strolli Cools sometimes because it's like old hat at this point.

To be honest, I taught myself to sew at the beginning of the summer. So the Strolli Cool was the first thing I ever made. As far as being the first thing you've ever sewn, it's not exactly an "easy" thing to make. It's not super hard either, but compared to a burp cloth, it's more challenging for sure.

I think I have even impressed myself with how quickly I have picked up sewing. I do think that I have an advantage over the average person because I have a college degree in understanding and assessing apparel. Even though I never used a sewing machine once in college, I took a class where I had to learn every type of stitch, pleat, hem, seam, etc., and how it's done. I also took a science lab where I had to learn just about every single type of fabric and how they work in apparel applications. With that said... I have always known how the clothes are put together, I just had never taken a crack at it with a machine.

So. I have made a lot of shit since the last post. A lot.

5 blankets
20 burp cloths
2 dog beds
30 headbands
4 skirts
2 bathrobes
6 sensory toys
2 pairs of shorts
10 dog bows
5 lovies

Basically, I sew when Henry naps, and I sew as soon as Tom gets home until I go to bed. Recently, I have chilled out a little bit. I am really tired, plus I have been doing a lot of work on the computer with rebranding my etsy store and researching supply vendors for all the wacky ideas I have in my head. And then of course, I am also supposed to be a good wife and a good mom, and keep my dogs alive, and clean the house. And plus PLUS, people keep ordering invitations from me! Which is really great, but it kind of mentally derails me from designing and making things.

The irony of all of this is... I will sew for five hours straight, but I am too lazy to post any of this stuff to etsy to actually sell it. The main reason is, it's REALLY hard for me to take pictures of things. Good pictures have to be taken outside during the day... and with Henry, it's just never feels like a good time. Plus, I also want to get some of the packaging I have had made in my possession before I try to market this stuff.

My new etsy store is called PRINCIE and you can visit it at etsy.com/shop/princiedesigns . Princie was an amazing woman I worked with in Tulsa, and one day I will tell you all about her.

I do not know how often I will be able to blog these days. I would like to be consistent about it, but please just accept that the quality of posts may not be as good. They will probably be more diary-like going forward, and I simply cannot allocate any time to making cool graphics that really serve no purpose other than looking good. Not until this moment in my life have I ever understood the phrase TIME IS MONEY... And girl, this blog has made me about $3 this past year. Speaking of, I got a credit card reader for my iPhone. I have never had the opportunity to use it, but I feel pretty awesome just having it.

The remainder of this post will be pictures from my iPhone that showcase what I have been up to. Everything you see, including Henry's shorts were made by me. There is no time for extra editing or any of that nonsense...

If you follow this blog because you are a stranger on the internet who happens to like reading my posts, your best bet is to follow me on instagram at PRINCIEDESIGNS. For the other 99% of you who know me from real life, you know where to find me.

Love,

Lauren

PS - OMG I left my laptop at airport security out of state a couple weeks ago and didn't realize until I was mid flight. Because Henry's birth was in 2012, this might have been the most dramatic moment of my life this year. Many phone calls and $108 later, it's back. Safe and sound...

And the winner is...

2013-07-25T11:22:00.002-05:00

Yayyy! I am super excited for Courtney! She actually happens to be a good friend from middle/high school that I knew from orchestra. That's right... ORCHESTRA. I play the viola. I used to be quite good. Don't ask me to play for you because the truth is, there is very little solo music for viola that anyone would care about hearing. Although, I do have the Titanic music book from 1998, so if you would be interested in listing to the instrumental version of "Take her to sea, Mr. Murdoch" I could maybe make that happen for you.

Anyway, Courtney has two beautiful little girls and another baby on the way, so I know she'll get some good use out of it!

And for no special reason... here is my child, being a nut job...

Love,

Lauren

Last chance!

2013-07-24T21:06:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. Just a reminder that this is your last chance to win a free STROLLI COOL of your choice!

Simply LIKE Turquoise & Gold on Facebook, and share the "share it to win it" post. Pretty simple.

So I haven't really blogged much about life lately. The truth is I have been sewing my ass off during nap times and I basically have to watch Henry every waking moment now that he is crawling.

For a general update, our patio is finished and it's bad ass. I will eventually share pictures! I've been making a lot of other things I am considering selling such as sensory toys and burp cloths. Plus, I have also been making clothes for Henry which is more exciting than just about anything in life.

I like never sleep anymore and it's really catching up with me. I ALSO never watch tv anymore. I'm FOUR episodes behind on True Blood. And I am currently recording 4 episodes of Honey Boo Boo that I pretty much know will not get watched. I am so out of touch with TV that I didn't even realize that we were like 5 episodes into the new season of Catfish (I love that show).

Let's see... what else? I got a new iPhone. I also had ChikFilA mini bites for the first time this weekend. Amazing.

Love,

Lauren

STROLLI COOL giveaway time!

2013-07-22T23:07:00.000-05:00

This is how I feel about the royal baby....

I mean... I literally cried this morning when I was watching the news that Kate was in labor. The same way I cried when I saw her crawl into that black car at 6am. Anyway, the excitement has me feeling generous, so I wanted to do a giveaway for a STROLLI COOL of your choice!

All yous peoples got to do is LIKE Turquoise & Gold on Facebook, and share the "share it to win it" post. Simple as that! Contest will end Wednesday night, winner will be picked at random, and results will be announced Thursday! I am excited to give one of these to y'all, and I look forward to you spreading the word to your mom friends :)

Love,

Lauren

Happy birthday to Mr. T&G!

2013-07-19T16:32:00.001-05:00

I am super short on time (have to be at the post office in like 10 minutes!), but I wanted to take the time to tell my wonderful husband happy birthday! He is the best dad I could have ever picked for my baby, and every day with him is a blessing.

I am still not sure about his new mustache, though.

Love,

Lauren

I LOST 30 POUNDS! And hated every second of it...

2013-07-17T09:50:00.000-05:00

On January 16th, I wrote THIS post. I stated that I wanted to lose 30 lbs, and vaguely outlined my plan of action. Well, here we are six months later, and I did it, y'all!

So let me start from the beginning... With Henry, I gained almost 60 lbs during my pregnancy. In the first two weeks after his birth, I lost 30 lbs of that. I was insanely swollen so a lot of my weight was fluid retention...

See? Told ya. However, after that first two weeks, I did not lose anything else. I had issues with breastfeeding from the get go, and even though I was exclusively nursing for almost 4 months, it did nothing for my weight loss. By January, Henry was 3 months old, and I still had 30 lbs to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. So, really, if I wanted to, I could say I lost 60 lbs, but I don't think that accurately depicts the situation.

In January, I just felt gross. I have been varying degrees of overweight most of my life, but, honestly, I never really felt bad about myself. In January, I had a lot of moments of self-loathing. That was a new thing for me, so I decided I really had to get shit taken care of. Initially, I didn't set a time constraint on my weight-loss. I've never lost more than 15 lbs at a time in my life, so I didn't even know where to begin with this goal. As time went on, and I had success, I decided to go by the "9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off" rule. Well... 9 months and TWO DAYS.

To give a little background for anyone reading this blog for the first time, I will briefly depict my weight history... I have always been like 10-20 lbs overweight my entire life, according to medical charts. Weight loss and maintenance has always been an issue for me, and I do believe that my metabolism is on the low end of the spectrum. I have always played sports and worked out, and been decently fit, just never thin. At the time I got pregnant, it was 2 months after my wedding, and I felt pretty good about my body. I was doing crossfit and paleo religiously, and I was in really great health. This 30 lbs I lost does not get me to my ideal weight. My ideal weight is still about 10-15 lbs away.

So what did I do to lose the weight? What a hard question to answer. The bottom line is I exercised more and ate less. The REAL bottom line is that... I cut out all the emotional/mental bullshit out of the equation, and just freaking did what it takes.

Exercise: Henry and I attend Baby Boot Camp 5 times a week. It's a good and effective work out. Working out for an hour five times a week is more than most people. Boot camp definitely has helped my body look so much better, but was it the main factor in my weight loss? No. Although, the constant support and motivation from my mom friends was incredibly helpful and encouraging.

Food: Obviously, my diet and calorie intake has been the main source of success for my weight loss. I didn't go on a "diet." I don't have time to plan out meals or go grocery shopping the way most diets require that you do. Well, actually I have plenty of time, but I hate grocery shopping and I am lazy. Anyway, I really ate all the same foods as before. I just ate a whole hell of a lot less. I do not count calories. Again, too lazy. Basically, I just had to gauge what hunger level I needed to be at to lose weight steadily week to week. My guess is that it was around 1000 calories on a daily basis. I know that 1000 calories a day is not "healthy". But neither is being overweight. I do not recommend eating less than 1200 calories a day, but my metabolism sucks major ass, and 1200 calories even with working out will not allow me to effectively lose weight. Argue with me all you want, but I just lost 30 lbs... so just trust that I know what I am saying. Of course, there are days I probably ate something crazy like 3000 calories. But they were very few and far in between. Like once or twice a month. Not once or twice a week.

More food stuff: 1000 calories a day sucks. I was/am hungry a lot, and it's pretty miserable. I hate to say this because it kind of sounds like the beginning of an eating disorder... but after a while, I embraced that super hungry feeling. I would tell myself "this is what losing weight feels like." I do not have an eating disorder, by the way. I needed to lose 30 lbs, so I did what it took. And it was over 6 months, so obviously I wasn't doing anything too crazy.

Even more food stuff: I would like to point out that I basically do not drink alcohol. Not because "I don't drink." I do. It's just that with a baby, I never go out to bars and we go to dinner at 5:30. I also don't particularly "enjoy" alcohol. I like drinking with my friends and family and getting a buzz going... but I couldn't care less about good wine or cocktails or trying new beers. COULD NOT CARE LESS. All that combined makes not drinking about as easy as not doing crystal meth (translation... very easy). I want to mention this because I know a lot of single 20 something girls will read this. When I was single and going out all the time, I don't think I could have foregone alcohol for six months. And even if you only drink on the weekends... multiply 1000 calories by 20 weeks, and you're not going to get the same results.

Now I want to talk about cutting out the bullshit. I have a bad metabolism. I've been chubby my entire life. I have always had to work harder than other people to lose weight. I have a parent who criticized my weight from a very young age. I was made fun of when I was a kid. I felt left out sometimes as an adult. I freaking love food to the point that it is like textbook addiction. I sometimes compulsively eat without even realizing it. I have narcolepsy which messes with your hunger signals.

The point is... there will always be a million reasons that you can tell yourself why you are overweight or why it's harder for you to lose weight. BUT... So let's say you had a brother who always called you fat growing up, and you feel that a lot of your issues stemmed from that. Well... even if you go to therapy, talk it out, confront your brother, he apologizes, you cry and hug and fix everything... That's not going to make you like food any less. That's not going to make a Double Dave's pizza roll any less tempting. It's not going to give you more energy to go on a run.

You just have to decide if you're going to do it or not. Doing it means sticking to the plan every day. Not three or four days a week. Not three weeks but then going on vacation and gaining 10 lbs. It's an every day thing. Every one of your actions has a consequence. Having a margarita has a consequence. Going for a run has a consequence. You have to constantly be on top of what you are doing and how it's going to feel each week if you do or do not lose weight.

I highly suggest setting a goal date and doing weekly weigh ins. I have had the internet to keep me accountable, but even if it's your mom or your boyfriend, just check in with someone. And take pictures. Seeing yourself look better in a picture is so much more gratifying than just looking in the mirror. That picture is there to remind you "this is what making good decisions looks like."

I know that all sounds like a lot of tough love, but I am just trying to be as straight forward as possible. There was nothing fun about losing 30 lbs other than losing 30 lbs. If I could look awesome without ever working out, trust me, I wouldn't. And I love food and I can eat a ton. Losing 30 lbs has not changed that one bit. I know I am going to continue to struggle with this forever. It's never going to be something I don't have to think about or put effort towards.

One last topic... My body does not look the same since having a baby. I am the same weight, but this body is different. The stretch marks from pregnancy are still there, and my bellybutton looks squishy. And if you've had a child, I don't even need to tell you what's going on with my boobs. I swear it's like you could fit your cell phone and keys in the empty space in my bra.

What does it feel like to lose 30 lbs? It feels just as awesome as you think it would. I recommend it.

Ok. Now come the pictures. First, I will do a series of me in work out clothes, then, I will do me in regular clothes. The regular clothes series doesn't start until around April because I felt too gross to let anyone take a full body shot of me...

(sorry, I had to include that picture)

And the regulars...

Somewhere in my blog, I talked about that last dress. I bought it when I was pregnant, thinking it would be loose and breezy for after the baby. WRONG. I couldn't even get it over my head. No joke. And now it fits perfect! I bought those ikat/chevron jeans when I was pregnant, too. So glad I did because they are incredibly soft and comfy now.

While we are talking about clothes, I am still a size 12. I could probably do a 10 in some bottoms, but I am so thick in my waist and ribs that I would have to lose another 10 lbs to go down in dress size. And I'm 5'6 for anyone who has never seen me in person.

AND WHAT THE HELL... I now weigh 168 lbs.

Love,

Lauren

Ummmmm I love y'all!

2013-07-15T14:42:00.001-05:00

I need to basically dedicate this post to everyone who has ordered, shared, or promoted my strolli cool! Going into the launch, I really had no idea what kind of response there would be. Would I sell out the first day? Would no one order anything? There was no way to tell.

The morning of the launch, my husband so eloquently said he didn't want me to be heartbroken if it didn't go so well. Mostly, I just got mad at him for saying that because I am a very reasonable person, and knew there was a chance that the whole thing could bomb. Plus, HELLO, I have a degree in retail merchandising so I know how all this stuff works.

BUT... Yall DID buy some! And the orders keep coming at a nice and steady pace! Regardless of the extra income, it's very rewarding to have all the time (and money) I spent in production and packaging pay off. For those of you that have ordered one, I hope you are delighted by the comically large manual I included in the packaging. In my mind, they were going to be a lot smaller... but these look like they have been sized for the visually impaired.

A lot of people seem unsure about the sizing. There is a FULL SIZE strolli cool and an INFANT SIZE. To be clear, the FULL SIZE is made for any/all regular strollers where your child is sitting upright in the seat...

(can you say PHOTOGRAPHYYYYYY!? Nothing says professional like taking iphone pics in my front yard.)

The INFANT SIZE is only to use in a car seat stroller...

For those of you without kids, a car seat stroller is a stroller that holds the car seat. Before babies can sit up, it's not safe to have them in regular stroller seats. So a lot of stroller companies offer a "car seat adapter" that allows you snap the car seat into the stroller. NEVER EVER EVER USE THE STROLLI COOL IN A CAR SEAT WHILE INSIDE A MOTOR VEHICLE...

I hope that makes sense to everyone, and if you have any other questions, PLEASE just comment or send a message! Here is a good pic of packaging...

Oh yeah, that's a label! Because this is a children's product, I wanted to really cover my bases with safety, so the label serves as a good branding item as well as a warning label on the back side. Basically it says... don't be dumb and let your kids or pets eat the strolli cool. The inside part is safe and non-toxic... but I'm sure if you ate it that you would probably get diarrhea or something fun like that. But I basically get diarrhea every time I go to Target or Lowe's, so it's not a huge concern of mine.

Also... I made four dog collar accessories last night. The problem with sewing is that it is a really good version of instant gratification. Which means, it becomes slightly addictive. So like last night, I should have just gone to bed at 9:45, but instead I was sweat shop-ing it upstairs until 11:30...

What do we think of the bow? It attaches onto the collar, and I basically love it. It kind of makes Eleanor look like a circus dog. Abbey's black and white peter pan collar freaking kills me, but it needs a lot of work in terms of construction. Down the road, when it's not hot, and people don't need cooling pads, I think I am going to branch out and do stuff like this. Nothing big or that inspiring, just little fun stuff for dogs and kids. Oh, and headbands for moms, too.

Thanks again to everyone who has placed an order, and if you would like to visit my store, you can always go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/TurqAndGold .

Love,

Lauren

Introducing... THE STROLLI COOL!

2013-07-11T08:27:00.000-05:00

The STROLLI COOL is a stroller cooling pad that works with water absorbing crystals to keep your babies cool and happy on hot days. Henry and I work out at the park every single day in Houston, so I originally made one for him just because I was desperate to fix how miserable and sweaty he was in the stroller. The idea was really well received by other moms, and then people asked to buy them, and then, today, I started selling them on Etsy.

Some of the goods...

How it works...

I promise that I only decided to make these because they really do work. The first time I used it, Henry slept the entire time during Baby Boot Camp. So for any mom that spends a lot of time outdoors during the summer, you will love this. There is also an infant size that you can use for strollers with a car seat adapter. Just keep in mind that the STROLLI COOL should NEVER be used in a car seat while inside a motor vehicle. Common sense, yall.

Go check out my store, and let me know what you think! If you are someone that I know personally and see often, message me about free shipping and I will just give it to you in person.

Some things that would make me super happy...

1. Like Turquoise & Gold on Facebook

2. Pin your favorite STROLLI COOL to Pinterest

3. Spread the word to your friends

4. Buy one for yourself or as a gift

5. Hint to your mother-in-law that you'd like her to buy you one

I have a lot of people to thank for helping this to all come together. To all my mom friends for their feedback and encouragement. To my dad for buying me a sewing machine. To my husband for being cool with me ignoring him the last couple of weeks. To my mom for supervising Henry when I am sewing. To my sister-in-law for the idea. To my mother-in-law for helping me make my first one. And to the LA City Bus Driver... for taking a chance... on an unknown kid. (If you appreciate that quote, consider us best friends).

Love,

Lauren

Don't say I didn't warn you...

2013-07-10T16:17:00.004-05:00

Yeah. 29 lbs. NOT 30. And to clarify the 30 pounds was not just baby weight. If I include all the weight I have lost since pregnancy the way celebrties do, I would easily have my "I Lost 60 Pounds" People Magazine cover. I lost 30 lbs within the first two weeks since Henry was born, and after that... nada. In January, I still had 30 lbs to go and that is when I started all of this.

I'm ok with the not meeting my deadline thine, but just very annoyed at the moment. I'll post next week when I finally get there with before/after pictures and a reflection back on the entire process. Until then...

Love,

Lauren

Where do I begin?

2013-07-09T19:42:00.001-05:00

Life has gotten kind of out of control lately. In a good way, but in a blog-neglecting way as well.

Henry is 9 months old today, and tomorrow is my final weigh in. I honestly think I am going to be ONE pound off. ONE. It really is fine, because I could easily get rid of one pound in an extra week... but to have lost 29 lbs instead of 30 is kind of dumb. I will let you know tomorrow! Here is a picture taken this weekend that I feel reflects some weight loss...

We are adding a big patio onto the back of our house and the workers started today. With a napping baby and two nutty dogs, it's a lot of tension.

We went to my parents' lake house all last week in Marble Falls. It was a really great place to be for the 4th of July. We entered the parade, and Henry got his first swing. I guess the judges couldn't fully appreciate my vision, because we didn't win...

Henry is crawling now which means I literally can't do anything while he is awake. We still haven't baby proofed the house or bought baby gates, so I have to watch him every second...

BUT ALL OF THAT IS SMALL POTATOES! I am in the process of starting a business. I already have an etsy store where I sell invitations and digital art. That part of the store has remained pretty small because I have been booked up doing custom work for friends. Which is so much fun, by the way, and if you are ever interested in a custom invitation, I would be happy to work with you! Also, if you see something somewhere else that you like, I can re-create most stuff as well.

So what is this business, you ask? Remember the stroller cooling pad I made for Henry a couple weeks ago? Well, it has been a huge hit with other moms, and I quickly realized that I had something special on my hands. I am looking to launch everything on Thursday. It has been a lot of hard work. I got in the water ONCE while being at the lake for a week because I was sewing my life away. Here is a small sneak peek!

I will let you guys know when everything goes live this week! Stay tuned and thanks for checking in!

Love,

Lauren

Weight Wednesday (on Friday)...

2013-06-28T14:32:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday, I had 5 lbs to lose. It's Friday and I still have 5 lbs to lose. 5 lbs in 11 days! Ahhhh. Plus all next week I am going to be at the lake house with no bootcamp and lots of tasty snacks. Also, I am seriously downloading the Jimmy John's app on my phone as I type this (girl's gotta eat).

I really AM determined. Never before in my life have I really hard goals with an actual timeline when it comes to weight loss. But I really do care about the actual end date this time. I promise that if I don't make it that I will be honest with y'all, but man is that going to hurt!

Going to the astros game on Tuesday did not help my cause...

Love,

Lauren

My dirty little mom secret...

2013-06-20T20:56:00.000-05:00

Ok. I do not know any two people that parent the exact same way. Everyone has their "style," and I really try not to judge other parents. Of course, there are a lot of exceptions in which I totally judge moms and dads. But in most cases, if a parent is doing something I do not agree with, now that I am a mom I can pretty clearly see where they're coming from. And also, with parenting, no one from the outside will ever know the full truth or reality of what goes on at home.

For instance, if I told a first time pregnant mom that I have bumpers in Henry's crib they might be like OMGGGG THE SIDS! THE SIDS! The truth is, I did not buy a bumper when Henry was born. Henry got a bumper when he was five months old and rolling around because I would literally wake up to the sound of him scratching the rails on his crib. The rails became a toy that kept him busy when he should have been sleeping. I think that's a pretty good example of "everyone has their reasons."

One thing that usually does grab my attention is when people say that their baby or toddler will only do this or that. For example, "my baby will only sleep in his swing." Let me say that if the swing makes your life easier and helps your baby sleep, I am a big proponent of "doing what works." HOWEVER... your baby WILL sleep other places. The truth is that "you" don't want to deal with the resistance and possible drama that will come from making that transition. And I totally understand.

Now that Henry is older, I try to avoid these kinds of situations. I try to not just give in when something is frustrating in the moment because I want Henry to be flexible in a way that is appropriate for a baby. For this reason, we did sleep training. Yes, Henry cried for like 10 minutes the first night with us checking on him every couple of minutes. But if your kid is crying in their car seat, you can't pull over the car every time to get them out and hold them. They have to learn that the car seat is necessary and a very important part of safety... and I use that logic for a lot of things. (not saying that car safety and sleep training are at all equal. one is non-negotiable and the other is totally up to the parent.)

So what's my secret? I still hold Henry's bottle for him. I know, that's not like shocking or horrible. BUT... I know he can hold it himself. He just wants me to do it because that's what he is used to. And every time we sit down for bottle time, I give it to him to do it himself, and he just ends up spilling it or playing with it. So what do I do? I go in there and completely reinforce that, yes, only mom holds the bottle. It is like "giving in" 101.

Don't get me wrong... The entire point of a baby is love and dote on them, and let them call most of the shots. It's not to teach them about the school of hard knocks. If I have made myself sound like some unloving hardass, I couldn't be any further from that. As far as I can tell, I am the only mom who baby talks their child at Boot Camp. We have a rule in our house that any time Henry wakes up from sleeping or a nap that the first thing we do is 10 kisses.

I felt I needed to get that off my chest, and maybe encourage other moms to share whatever silly things you let your baby get away with because it just doesn't feel worth it in the moment to deal with it properly.

See? He knows what he is supposed to do...

Love,

Lauren

Weight Wednesday: chipping away and some news-y stuff

2013-06-19T22:26:00.001-05:00

Six is such a good number. It sounds like so much less than 7 for some reason. Maybe because 7 can easily go back up to 10. 6 is far enough away from 10, that I'm no longer scared of 10. Does that make sense?

So when I originally made my weight loss chart, I remember thinking not knowing how long to make it. I've officially run out of room, which gives me some sort of satisfaction. The end IS very near, and even my chart is telling me to get this thing over with. Can I suggest to yall to make one of these? Even if it's just hand written. To see your goal whittle away is kind of awesome. I also really appreciate seeing the dates because I think it paints a VERY realistic picture of the time line of weight loss.

One goal all along in sharing this has been to produce a very normal, boring picture of weight loss. No one loves The Biggest Loser more than I do, but it doesn't really present a realistic model for people wanting to lose weight. Also, a lot of "weight loss stories" that make it to a public forum usually feature people with closer to 100+ pounds to lose. Losing 100+ lbs is EXTRAORDINARY. Anyone who is able to transform their life so dramatically has to be a really incredible person, and I honestly don't know if I would be able to do it. Understandably, people don't end up on the front of People for losing 30 lbs... and the closest thing on tv to The Biggest Loser: normal people edition was "Celebrity Fat Camp" on VH1. Which was basically the exact same show as Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew with weigh-ins at the end of every episode.

The news-y stuff I mentioned in the post title is regarding this article in which the AMA has now declared obesity a disease. I feel this subject usually gets people kind of riled up, so I thought I would weigh in as reasonably as possible. I'm not a doctor, and I don't even watch Dr. Oz, so what do I know? But here it goes... And please keep in mind any time I use terms like "overweight" and "obese," I am using them as medical terms to describe someone's health, not how they look.

I agree that when you are obese, that your body is in a state of "disease". When I started my weight loss, I 100% felt that I was unhealthy... plus, I am sure that I would have been considered obese in medical terms. So yeah, when you are overweight, your health is compromised, and you should fix it. The problem I have with calling it a "disease" is that it can somewhat shift the responsibility of getting healthy from the person and onto "medical treatment". Now, I am 100% in support of anyone working with their doctor to lose weight and improve their health. I am even very pro lap band if it helps people to permanently change their lives. It's just like smoking. Obviously, no matter how addicted you are to cigarettes, you could just force yourself to stop smoking. But I would rather someone use the patch or whatever and stop smoking than be forced to "do it the hard way" and never successfully quit.

If someone looked me in the face and said "look, I'm obsessed with food and I am not strong enough or committed enough to lose weight completely on my own," I would be like dude, I totally get it. But when someone says they have "tried everything, but nothing is working," I want to say go eff yourself. "Trying" a method of weight loss means doing it perfectly, every single day, for at least 30 days. "Trying" is not... eating low carb for four days, but then, you know, it was my birthday, so we went out and had some drinks, and my coworkers bought me cupcakes so I just had one, blah blah blah...

I don't get why the most pervasive theme in weight loss is "diets don't work." Um, well, actually, they do work. But you HAVE TO DO THEM. And when you're done, you have to use the brain inside your head and not eat like a psycho. I'm sure you can guess the next thing I am going to comment on... the almighty LIFESTYLE CHANGE. "It has to be a lifestyle change." What does that even mean? Like even if you have changed your lifestyle to where you bring your lunch instead of going out or whatever, your brain chemistry is never going to change to the point that ChikFilA doesn't taste amazing. I think the lifestyle change thing irks me because it implies that once you "change your lifestyle" that you won't even have to think about eating healthy, because it will become so ingrained. Well, that's bullshit. Anyone who has ever lost weight can tell you that it never stops being hard. It never stops taking conscious effort... which, in my opinion, IS a diet. I guess the way I can reconcile "you can't go on a diet, it has to be a lifestyle change" is if you define lifestyle change as accepting the fact that you are basically going to be on a diet every day for the rest of your life.

With all that said... 24 lbs ago, if the doctor was like "hey, I see that you are obese, so here is this pill to help you lose weight, and guess what... your insurance will cover it!" I would be at Walgreen's in less than 5 minutes. So I guess my conclusion is that I am hopeful that this new categorization of obesity as a disease will help people get healthy regardless of if they do it the old-fashioned way or not. And maybe the long term effect will be something like obesity will become less common in our population, and therefore people will be less likely to become overweight in the first place? Who knows. Just get (or stay) healthy, people.

Love,

Lauren

Weight Wednesday: Starvation works!

2013-06-12T12:59:00.002-05:00

I am really relieved I lost two pounds this past week. I had started to feel a sense of doom that there was no way I can meet my goal... but seriously, I think I can pull it off. In regards to the title of this post... FOR ME, I feel like I have to "starve" myself in order to lose weight. This does not mean that I am not eating anything, it just means that the amount that I can get away with eating leaves me feel like I am starving the whole freaking day. I wish I could be one of those people that has four 300 calorie meals a day and "never feels hungry." First of all, I think those people are lying. Whether it is to themselves or to everyone else, I don't believe for one second that they wouldn't kill for pizza or some french fries at any point in the day.

For me, the whole thing with this weight loss stuff is that it is very difficult. It is very unsatisfying. It sometimes feels like torture. I do still have "bad" meals every week (cough last night), but what I have to do the next day to make up for it is like eat a can of tuna and call it a day. The thing is, no matter what it takes for YOU to lose weight... sorry, but that's what it takes for YOU to lose weight. If you can cut out soda and lose 10 lbs, great, do that. If you have to eat under 1000 calories per day on top of working out for two hours... Yeah, that sucks. I feel for you. I know how unfair it feels. I know how frustrating it is. But my personal experience is YOU JUST HAVE TO DO IT. You have to move past how much "harder" it is for you than the average person, and just get it done.

I like being open about this because it really bothers me when people or celebrities try to make it seem like weight loss was so easy or even FUN for them. Any celebrity that claims they lost weight from pole dancing or some dumb shit like that is also leaving out that they probably also never eat. When Kirstie Alley loses weight and says she is a size 4, I want to scream. GIRL, YOU ARE NOT A SIZE 4. STOP LYING. Or when Kim Kardashian says she weighs 120 pounds. Shyeah... In your bra! I think the most refreshing thing I have ever heard a celebrity say was when Katy Perry stated that she weighs 135 lbs... See, THAT makes sense. Her body is amazing, she looks great, and she has huge boobs. Drew Barrymore recently gave an interview where she said how trying to have the perfect body or the perfect career right now would compromise how good of a mother she could be to her new baby. Yes. Spending 6 hours a day in the gym like Kate Hudson did as soon as her baby was born probably was not in the best interest of her newborn son. So thanks, Drew Barrymore, for being one of the few moms in Hollywood who seems to understand this. Sarah Jessica Parker was also very graceful about weight loss after the birth of her son. She basically didn't even want to talk about it and said that her looks were so not the point of what was going on in her life with a new baby.

So on a less angsty note... I hope all of your weight loss endeavors are going well! I know one thing that would help me a lot right now would be to drink more water. I hardly ever experience thirst, so it takes a lot of effort for me to drink enough water through out the day. Any suggestions on how much water I need to be drinking every day? Or how to get on a water drinking schedule? I'd love to hear your experiences on how water intake has affected your weight loss!

Love,

Lauren

Henry: 8 months!

2013-06-11T20:22:00.001-05:00

We are two thirds of the way through our first year. Which basically means I need to start planning his birthday party immediately.

Henry hasn't been to the doctor in a while, so I honestly have no clue how big he is. I know that he is somewhere between 19 and 20 pounds, and that is ALL that I know. His head doesn't seem to be getting any smaller in proportion to his body, so ole Henny big head is here to stay. PS - my nick name for Henry is Henny. His nickname was supposed to be Hank (which I love and find absolutely adorable), which is a big reason we named him Henry, but not one time have I ever felt compelled to call him Hank.

My favorite thing to report on is Henry's teeth. He currently has one tooth on top and THREE on the bottom. It's a really good look for a baby, I guess. We had been paying so much attention to when the top teeth were going to come in, that we didn't event notice that a side tooth on the bottom had popped out. I looked it up on the internet (you know, that thing, the internet), and everything is coming in out of order. Maybe a wisdom tooth will be next? Either way, I desperately need a break from teething. I can imagine how badly it hurts to bust a tooth through your gums, and Henry definitely lets us know how uncomfortable it is. They need to make XL teething-sized bottles of baby tylenol because we go through one in like a week.

The next order of business is crawling. Henry CAN crawl, he just chooses not to. Kind of like how I CAN cook, but it's really just not for me. He goes backwards, and around in a circle, but for some reason, as soon as he needs to go forward, he gives up and starts whining. I have no explanation for it other than he is teething 24/7 these days, and isn't in the right frame of mind to take on new challenges at the moment. Plus, he knows that mommy can't say no to a sad baby, so he is probably just waiting for me to come pick him up when he is on his tummy.

He is talking, as in making lots of noises and sounds, but no words yet. I seriously hold his fingers on my mouth, Helen Keller style, while I say mama over and over again. Doesn't seem to be making a difference. He makes a lot of "ba ba ba" sounds, but no ma or da.

Henry is getting into EVERYTHING these days. He straight up pulled a lamp off my nightstand today (as I was holding him), so he cannot be trusted with anything, really. Sometimes I have no choice but to let him sit on my lap while I do my makeup, and he goes insane with my makeup drawer. I wouldn't care except I have lip glosses in there that are like nasty 5 year old relics from college that may have been dropped on the floor of a bar at some point. We are now the people who at a restaurant have to take everything off of the table. The people who have no control over their infant. Henry is also finally starting to get mad when you take things away from him. Before, it didn't seem to matter. But now, it's like ... real bad.

My child is still an excellent night sleeper. He averages about 11.5 hours a night and never wakes up. His naps have been a moving target for the past month or two. I feel like I spend every day stressing out about his naps. The science of baby napping is so delicate. It's like you want them to sleep as much as possible (so you can watch your DVR), but you know that if their first nap of the day is too long, that you will pay for it when he doesn't nap the rest of the day. And by dinner time, he is so unbelievably tired and grumpy that there's nothing you can do to make it better. Imagine a very fine scale that can detect grains of sand added or taken away. That's the best imagery I can provide for how on edge naps make me all day.

So here he is... my baby...

These pictures are getting harder and harder to take...

I love this little baby more than anything on earth. He is my little angel, and I'm super proud of both of us for making it this far. Of course, we couldn't have done it without that dad person that lives in the house, too.

Love,

Lauren

Stay at home style...

2013-06-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

So I really have been making an effort. I even showered to go to Costco two days ago. Just to clarify, I do not think that the outfits I have been posting are groundbreaking or anything. I just wanted to showcase things that I can have fun wearing while still being reasonably dressed to take care of a baby all day. Speaking of, I haven't posted much about Henry lately. Just to let you know, he is doing amazing, and he is doing new "big boy" things every day! Details later.

For me, the leanest part of my body is my legs. They are nothing amazing, but I have no issues wearing shorts every single day of my life. Plus, it is seriously so effing hot in Houston that the thought of wearing jeans after May kind of makes me want to throw up.

Also, please excuse the fact that all of my clothes are wrinkled. Not only am I the WORST IRONER EVER, but I also like to let things sit in the dryer for about 36 hours before I take them out and fold them. Anyway, below are some recent looks.

A play date...

tee // Banana Republic

shorts // LOFT

belt // Banana Republic

cuff // Kendra Scott

Lunch with a friend...

shirt // Gap

skirt // Gap

sandals // Miu Miu

(the shoes were a gift so don't like freak out or anything)

Landscaping my in-laws new home...

I am unwilling to share the sources of my awesomeness in this picture

I honestly can't remember what I was doing this day...

tee // Gap

shorts // Old Navy

sandals // Loeffler Randall

So that right there is about every single time I have showered and worn real clothes in the past two weeks. Can you say MAKING STRIDES? Truly, I should start documenting Henry's wardrobe. He is the best dressed person in the entire family.

Speaking of... CUTEST DADDY BABY MATCHING COMBO EVER!

Love,

Lauren

Weight Wednesdays: 34 days left!

2013-06-05T20:55:00.001-05:00

I have no idea why I went crazy with my 80s themed graphic, but yes, I lost one pound this past week. I need to lose like 2 a week seeing as I only have until July 9th, but I am doing my best! And please keep in mind that I live in Houston, and it is already 95 degrees here. That basically means that I cannot go outside from 11-6pm unless I want to die of skin cancer on the spot. This makes getting extra walks in kind of hard since I have a baby to protect from the sun and heat.

I have been SUPER busy lately. I decided to open an Etsy shop which I will talk more about later, but I have already had some sales and between that and my child that I am actually supposed to spend time with, blogging has taken a back seat for the time being. I'll get back to it here soon!

A lot of you showed interest in joining a weight loss challenge. Consider this your starting date! Each week, please report on your progress in the comments section. I promise that I really do care, and I really do love hearing about other people's journeys. Trust me, writing about your weight on the internet definitely keeps you motivated, so if you need a little extra motivation, please join in!

Love,

Lauren

Weight Wednesdays are back!

2013-05-29T12:46:00.000-05:00

10 lbs to go. I would be more excited but I've had 10 pounds to go for a month now. I don't know why there has been such a halt in my progress. I haven't been perfect the last month, but I also wasn't perfect any of the previous months. Either way, my goal is to lose the last 10 lbs by July 9th aka when Henry turns 9 months old. That gives me about six weeks.

I am still going to baby boot camp 5 times a week, and still trying to moderate my food. If I had the money, I would do My Fit Foods again, but it's just way too expensive to do on a daily basis.

One source of motivation has been posting more pictures of myself and my clothes lately. I will get it all out there for y'all: I am a solid size 12 right now. The funny thing is, that when I was 20 lbs lighter than I am now, I was still a size 10 or 12. My particular body shape does not seem to let me get much smaller than a size 10. Sure, the clothes look better, and my limbs are thinner. But I have wide hips and a wide bust line that never seems to break a size 10. Size is really not a huge issue for me, other than when you shop at cheapy stores like F21, the sizes tend to run small and sometimes leave me empty handed. I feel like when I was a younger, I went straight from kids sizes to a women's size 6 so like I said, I don't have any mental hangups over dress size, but I sure would like to wear whatever the hell I want.

I am not a self-conscious person. Even at a size 12, I am perfectly happy to wear a two-piece bathingsuit. It's not like I've been fooling people all along that I am skinny and that a bikini is going to let the cat out of the bag. With that said, if I had the body for it, I would wear all sorts of crazy shit. I would first of all, FOR SURE, work out in just a sports bra. This is probably one of my life long dreams. I gain most of my weight in my mid section, so I would probably have to be like 12% body fat to make that dream come true. Anyway, like I said... I am open to wearing just about anything so long as I look decent in it. Remember when people were wearing underwear as pants like two years ago? Yeah. I would do that. So currently, my adventurous taste is sort of being wasted on this body. I think Tyra Banks once said that she feels more confident with her body when she is naked than when she is in clothes. That is probably the only thing that Tyra Banks and I have in common, but I totally understand what she meant by that statement.

Here's where I'm at. I literally took this photo like 5 minutes ago, so it is a completely legit representation of what I currently look like...

Is there anyone else who would like to get in on weekly weigh in action? I can honestly say that it's helped me to stay in line! Having some pals to check in with really motivates me, so if you're interested just let me know!

Love,

Lauren

The most perfectly preppy 1st birthday!

2013-05-28T07:52:00.001-05:00

One of Henry's bffs had her first birthday party this past weekend. It was a really fun pool party that featured hot dogs and sangria. The theme was preppy pink and navy, a la Vineyard Vines. There was a lot of cute whale action happening, and we were happy to dress the part. Had to match the invitation. Duh...

"Preppy" is not really a word I use to describe my personal style. I LOVE monogramming and J. Crew, but somehow I just don't think of myself as being preppy. But, of course, I have plenty of items in my closet that can be combines for occaisions such as this...

tank // Alternative Apparel
skirt // Banana Republic
swim suit // J. Crew***
bracelets // Kate Spade & Henri Bendel
sunglasses // Oliver Peoples
sandals // Frye (similar)

Seriously. The most amazingly gorgeous cookies I have ever seen...

It's really nice when you show up to a party and the food matches your outfit...

This cake. I have no words...

Me and my sweet baby angel boy...

My guys. Henry is all about sticking out his tongue lately...

First time in a real swimming pool...

The beautiful birthday girl with her mama. Navy and pink always and forever...

He loves his dad...

I think this picture belongs in a gallery somewhere. The way all the babies are looking elsewhere and Henry is looking straight at me feels very artistic. Also slightly creepy...

I made this...

I can't believe that little girl is already a year old. She was still a sweet little baby when I met her, and now she is a ONE YEAR OLD. Crazy. The moral of this story is that I need to start planning Henry's October birthday part immediately. He loves watching Real Housewives with me, so maybe we'll do a Bravo-themed party. I mean, RIGHT?

Love,

Lauren

*** Do not buy this swimsuit. It is really cute on (no, I am not going to post pictures of me wearing a swim suit), but the lining is nude and it should match the red. The reason it matters is because the straps hook onto the inside lining, and when you wear it, the tension causes the nude lining to stick out. J. Crew should know better!

Stay at home style

2013-05-23T20:03:00.000-05:00

I had a big pep talk with myself recently. It was about a lot of things, but the main theme was "making an effort." Since then, I have showered every day this week. I also went to the grocery store and have been COOKING DINNER.

Fashion is my one true passion in life. When I was in high school, people must have thought I was insane because I would wear things like lace skirts and high heels... just because. When I was in college, sometimes I was aware that my clothes qualified more as "costumes" than they did "outfits". Kind of in a Grey Gardens sort of way. I'm not quite to Man Repeller status, but I have always been pretty adventurous for your average boring ole white girl from the suburbs.

So I've decided that I need to make the effort. Not only to look nice, but to exercise a passion of mine that really does make me excited and happy. Here is what I have put together this past week.

cream blouse // Tucker

mint lace shorts // LOFT

sandals // Steve Madden (similar)

necklace // vintage Whiting & Davis (for sale on ebay!)

earrings // Kendra Scott

hair // H&M sock bun

trim sleeve blouse // LOFT

butterfly shorts // J. Crew

embroidered flats // Maloles

belt // H&M

tribal bracelet // Sundance

I bought these shoes from a store I worked at in Austin called Fetish. God, I loved that job and I loved that store. To this day, I still have everything I bought there 5 years ago, because all of those pieces are still fresh and interesting. The girl who had Fetish now owns an amazing lingerie store called Underwear in Austin. You can shop online at shop-underwear.com.

denim button down // Cotton On

striped shorts // Madewell

perforated oxfords // Bloch

horn earrings // Kuhl Linscomb

turquoise bracelet // vintage from my dad

hair // Heidi

Oh, and I got a pedicure AND a manicure today. I honestly never get manicures because I can't keep up with them, but my husband got me one as a Mother's Day gift, so I figured why not? I did my toes in blue, and my fingers in mint with one blue accent finger. I know. That trend is like 3 years old. But considering my nails will only stay painted for about 72 hours, I went for it.

blue // Essie bikini so teeny

mint // Essie mint candy apple

I would also like to mention that I bought Schiap lipstick by Nars about two or three years ago, and recently I have decided that there is no event too casual for hot pink lipstick. Honestly, I look 100% better with a very colorful lip. I have small eyes, light eyelashes, and half-invisible eyebrows, so I find that a bold mouth helps to define my face a bit. If you don't already have Schiap, you probably need to get on that. Lastly, one of my secret talents is hair. If I never have a little girl it will be such a shame because I can do just about every crazy braid you've ever seen on pinterest. I am also trying to be creative with my hair on the days that I don't feel like washing it. Today, I went with Heidi braids. Admittedly, my hair is probably a little too short for the braids, so it looked a little sloppy. But the weirdness of being a 27 year old mom wearing Heidi braids totally made it worth it.

Love,

Lauren

Because I worry about having too many status updates on facebook...

2013-05-23T07:47:00.000-05:00

1. I hate it when grocery stores do not keep up with their cookie samples. I cruise on over to the free cookie area, see that there are nothing but crumbs left, and then I have to pretend like "oh, hey, I was just shopping around for some fresh baguettes, but, uh, decided I didn't want any after all." Please tell me I'm not the only one who suffers from sample shame.

2. I finished off a box of my child's baby puffs today.

3. The following words need to go away for about a year: "ombre" and "styling".

4. I think I maybe have sideburns...

5. Henry only poops in his car seat. Only.

6. I wish there was a parental control that would block all images of food from being displayed on the tv. I am a food marketer's dream come true.

Love,
Lauren